Besides Marciano which all time greats retired too SOON...

Tunney definately. I wish Lewis had stuck around so we could have an undisputed heavywieght champ.

 

Tunney had over 80 fights. I don't know if I'd call that a short career.

Not to mention him and Dempsey were the same age give or take very little but no one's mentioned Dempsey here.

 

They were the same age but not in ring mileage,Dempsey had softened over the years mixing with movie stars. I think Tunney retired because there wasnt a real big money fight on the horizon ,of the top four Wills was a bit past it, he had beaten Dempsey ,Uzcudun wasnt a draw and Sharkey went and got held to a draw so Tunney married his heiress and retired

 

Lewis was in his 40's. It was about the right time to retire, if not earlier lol.

 

Jeffries. Well, I wish he would have fought Johnson. I don't think any white opponents were generating interest, and the concern was Jeffries would be rusty by the time a matchup came along the public would be interested in. I do get the impression a mid 1900's Jeffries-Johnson would have generated interest.

Tunney, I don't want to criticize, as I've read he had eye issues. It's true that 1-to-3 more fights, against top contention, would bolster his standing (if he'd prevailed).

 

Aaron Pryor.

 

not a real big money fight? their were top 2 ranked contenders, both hall of fame heavyweights 6'3 225lb george godfrey and 6'0 200lb jack sharkey, both hall of famers hungry for a title shot. Both would have been the biggest men tunney ever fought.

 

Jeffries retired too young, I mean 18 fights? come on. only 29 years old? with jack johnson sam mcvea joe jenette emerging?

 

Did Calzaghe have another challenge or not? Or did he conquer everthing....Kessler, Jones, Hopkins....

I say he retired at a perfect time.

 

Yoko Gushiken.

 

Exactly. Same with Lewis.

 

Lennox and Marciano retired both at the right time...coming off big victories over their # 1 contender.


Jeffries retired at age 29, but his last fight was wasted on a goof trooper Jake Munroe instead of a Jack Johnson or Marvin Hart.

Tunney retired at age 31, but I think he should have fought Godfrey/Sharkey before retiring. He wasted his last defense on a goof trooper Tom Heeney. I understand Heeney won that "elimination" tournament, but that mini tournament was very corrupt in the first place. It purposely excluded George Godfrey out of fear of a black man possibly winning the tournament, despite the fact he was supposed to fight Knute Hanson in the first round. Also Heeney-Sharkey was never rematched after that scandalous draw.

 

None of then retired too soon...in fact most of them don't know how to retire..the ones with the wisdom to retire at the top know what they're doing...they know that the fans will always come up with yet another hill for them to climb..they're never satisfied.

 

:deal

 

I've always said that it would have been great if Ali had retired after Manila '75. He had nothing at all to prove after that. Who knows ? Maybe his health would inded have been better today.